New Hope
by Pen and Paper71
Summary: Crystal Tokyo is under attack and the king and queen are dead. Who will save the kingdom? Rated T for safety.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Sailor Moon does not belong to me. I'm just borrowing the characters for my story. I promise to return them.

Prologue

"Where am I?" wondered Neo-Queen Serenity as the blackness faded away. One minute she and her family were sitting down to dinner and the next there was utter chaos outside. She pushed herself into a sitting position, and looked around. Her husband lay completely still only a foot away.

"Endymion," she cried, rushing to his side. "Wake up, my love. Please wake up!" Serenity felt for a pulse, and was relieved to find his was still strong.

"Serenity," the king murmured sleepily as he slowly came back to consciousness. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she answered. "What about you?"

"I feel like I was hit by a truck but other than that I feel peachy," Endymion told her as he sat up.

"Your Highnesses," Sailor Mars came running in to the room. "Are you both okay?"

"We're fine, Mars. What is going on out there?" Endymion demanded.

Serenity interrupted before Mars could answer. "My baby! Where is my baby?" she cried frantically. Serenity got up and started to run from the room, but was stopped by Sailor Jupiter, who had just shown up and was blocking the exit.

"She's fine," Mars answered. "Venus has her safely hidden. Now we just need you two to come with us..."

"Not until you tell us what is going on," Endymion said firmly.

"The enemy is attempting to overthrow and usurp the thrown. They are after you two. They figure that once they kill both of you, they can rule. Now please come," Jupiter said, motioning for the royal couple to follow.

"We can't just run," Serenity said firmly. "What will happen to our people? What use are we to anybody if we can't protect them?"

"And what happens if they get their way?" Jupiter cried. "The other Senshi are holding the enemy off right now, but they can only keep this up for so long."

"I agree with Serenity," Endymion said. "We stay and fight."

"What exactly are you planning on doing?" Mars demanded, sounding worried. She and the queen had been close friends for a while, and she had a decent idea what the plan was.

"I can release the power of the Silver Crystal," Serenity said.

"It would be nice to be wrong once," Mars thought to herself. "My Queen, the power of the crystal is not limitless. The enemy is too powerful to be destroyed by it. Besides if you use the crystal, you'll die."

"I may not be able to destroy the enemy, but I can temporarily vanquish them and put up a protective barrier," Serenity said, refusing to let go of this idea. "And if I have to die to bring peace, then so be it. At least it will buy everyone time to figure out how to beat them for good when the barrier collapses."

"Serenity, you are very powerful, but so are they. Your barrier won't hold long. The kingdom needs you alive," Jupiter told her, desperately trying to talk off this suicidal path.

"It would be strong enough to hold for a while if Serenity and I combined our power and channeled it through the crystal," Endymion said.

"That may be so, but then you'd both be dead. What would the kingdom do then?" Mars cried.

"Small Lady is still alive and well," Serenity said. "Make sure she stays safe and when the time comes she will return to the thrown. In the meantime, the senshi can act as regent for her."

"Please your Highnesses, don't do this," begged Jupiter.

"Do we have another choice? We can run and hide, but then everyone will suffer because of us. What kind of leaders would we be?" Endymion said. "Unless you guys have another plan that will get rid of our enemy..."

The two senshi fell silent. They didn't have a better idea.

Serenity smiled. "Goodbye my friends. Thank you for everything."

The royal couple did what needed to be done. The power forced out the enemy and put up a protective barrier around the kingdom. The people rejoiced, but they had yet to find out that their beloved king and queen had died to protect them. A great period of mourning covered the city when the news was spread.

Despite their sadness, the senshi knew they still had work to do so they pulled themselves together. Mercury, Venus, and Jupiter went out to make sure the enemy had been eliminated. Mars remained behind to care for the infant princess.

"The castle feels so empty without Serenity and Endymion," Mars thought sadly, looking at a picture of her two friends. She and Serenity had fought like cats and dogs, but they really had been best friends. It was unbelievable to think that she was gone.

A loud cry interrupted her thoughts and Mars hurried to the princess's room. "Hush, Small Lady." She picked up the infant. "What's wrong, sweetheart? Let's see, you're still dry. Maybe you're hungry. We'll go get you some food."

Mars paused suddenly and held her breath. It had only been for a second, but she was sure she heard footsteps. She pulled the princess close to her. "Whose there? Identify yourself!" Mars growled.

Silence greeted her demand. Mars backed up to the door and called to one of the palace workers. A young woman responded first. "What is it ma'am?"

"Hold her," Mars said, handing the princess to the woman. "Stay there and don't move."

Now that the princess was in safe hands, Mars felt she could force a confrontation with whoever was hiding out. She closed her eyes, and allowed her intuition to guide her. "Got you," she hissed, kicking down the door to a closet in the room. Inside stood one of the palace guards. Confused, Mars dropped her fighting stance, but stayed alert. "What are you doing in that closet?"

"I was investigating..." the man started.

"Investigating what," she demanded, forcing him against the back wall.

"Just investigating," the man gasped. "With everything so weird and everything..."

Mars frowned. The excuse was flimsy and her intuition was working over time. "You'll stay under guard until I can look into this further."

Suddenly the man's eyes started to glow red and he lunged at Mars. She kicked him hard in the stomach and then punched him, sending him to the floor. He looked up at her, his eyes still glowing, "You can't stop us. The king and queen are dead. Only the princess stands in our way." The red glow faded, and the man collapsed. Mars felt for a pulse. He was dead.

Mars quickly called the senshi back. After running all the necessary tests, Mercury was able to determine that he had been controlled by the enemy's magic. "They may not be able to physically cross the barrier, but they seem to be able to slip some magic through. I noticed this when I was inspecting the barrier. It is very strong, but it covers so much area and is under so much strain from the constant barrage of magic that some leeks through."

"So they can still reach the princess," Venus murmured. "We have to keep her safe and the only way to do this is to hide her away until it is time for her to reclaim the thrown. Mars, you've spent the most time with her, will you...?"

"I'll take her," Mars said.

"We'll stay behind to keep the kingdom safe and running. You protect the princess. We shouldn't tell her who she is until the time is right. Small children have trouble keeping secrets. All we need is for this to get out," Venus said. "Check in with us often. We'll stop by to see you also."

"I'll take her into the kingdom and raise her as my daughter," Mars said. She picked up the princess. "Come Small Lady. We have a new life to begin."


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: I looked this up online, so I could be wrong but my research tells me that the name Mika means "New Moon" in Japanese. Hence the reason I choose to use the name. The other names have English meanings, but those meanings are not important for the purposes of my story. If the names start to have meaning again I promise I'll let you know. Please read and review. I feel very sad when no one reviews.

Fifteen years of peace had passed since the sacrifice of Serenity and Endymion. The princess grew under the watchful eye of the senshi. Now referred to as Mika, the princess had grown into a beauty with long pink hair that flowed down to the middle of her back.

"Mika," said Mars to her adopted daughter. "It's time to get off the phone and go to bed."

"But Mom," protested Mika.

"Don't 'but mom' me, young lady," said Mars, taking the phone from her. "Go get ready for bed. I'm sorry Aiko. Mika will see you tomorrow."

"Okay Mrs. Hino," Aiko said agreeably. "Tell Mika I said bye."

Since few people knew the senshi's real names, Mars had chosen to use hers. She had told the neighbors that Mika's father had died before she was born.

"Mom," Mika cried, not happy with her mother.

"Mika, what did I say?" Rei demanded.

"Fine," Mika said, storming off.

"Kids," muttered Rei as she went about tidying up the house. A beeping noise coming from her pocket interrupted her. It was her communicator. "Damn, why are they calling now. They know they're supposed to wait for me to call them after the princess is asleep." She locked herself in her room and pulled out the communicator. "This is a bad time, Venus. The princess is still wide awake."

"We have bigger problems. Mercury checked the barrier again today. It's weakening badly," Venus said solemnly.

"Crap, you're sure?" Mars asked.

"Is Mercury ever wrong?" Venus countered. "We're going to need the princess."

"She's only fifteen," Mars protested. "That's too young."

"We were only fourteen when we discovered who we were. This is her destiny, Mars. We all knew this day was coming. I'm just happy the barrier lasted this long. The way the enemy was pounding on it, I figured it would crack before ten years and then she would have been too young," Venus said. "She won't have to face this alone. We'll train her and fight by her side."

Mars closed her eyes. Venus was right. She wasn't surprised that this day had come. It had always been the princess's destiny to fight this battle. That didn't make it any easier. She had raised Mika since her parents' death and had come to love her like a daughter. Rei couldn't imagine what she'd do if something happened to her. "I'll protect you, baby," Rei thought," no matter what." Turning her attention back to Venus, "I'll tell her who she is tomorrow after school. Let's let her have one more day to be normal before we change her life forever."

Venus frowned. The delay made her nervous. Every minute spent delaying the inevitable, meant less time to train and prepare for the coming of the enemy. "Fine as long as you swear to tell her right after school. It is important we begin her training immediately. Personally I wish we could have begun it years ago, but then we would have given her location away."

"I swear I'll tell her," Mars said firmly. "I'll give her the moon transformation broach and we'll come right to you guys to begin her training."

"Mom," Mika called.

"Damn, Venus I need to go. The princess needs me," Mars said quickly closing the communicator, and heading out the door. "Mika, what's wrong?"

Mika looked at her mother in confusion, not understanding why she looked so stressed all of the sudden. "I wanted to say good night."

Rei smiled, "Good night, sweetheart. Sleep well."

The two parted for the night. The next morning Mika said a quick good bye as she bolted out the door. She was late for school again. "She really is your daughter, Serenity," Rei thought with a laugh as she waved good bye and told Mika to come right home after school.

Mika ran as fast as she could. "I won't be late again. I won't be late again," she chanted mentally. She burst through the door just after the bell.

"Hino Mika, I'm so happy you could join us today," the teacher said sarcastically. "I think detention in order, don't you."

"I'm sorry, ma'am," Mika muttered, sliding into the seat next to her best friend Aiko.

"Well at least you're less late then usual," Aiko teased.

Mika shot her friend a death glare, and then turned her attention back to the teacher.

The day preceded normally until school was over. Aiko and Mika's other close friend, Hoshi, waited for her until she got out of detention.

"It's funny. I can list the times you haven't gotten detention on one hand," Hoshi teased Mika when she came out.

"Har har. Very funny. Can we move on with life now?" Mika growled. She was always in a bad mood after detention.

Aiko smiled and suggested, "Why don't we go to the arcade and play some video games? It would be nice to relax before we have to go do our homework."

Mika shook her head. "Mom said I was to go straight home." She hesitated. The arcade really did sound like fun and what did ten or fifteen minutes late matter. She was never on time. Her mom would just write it off as a Mika thing. "Fine just one or two games though. I really do have to get home."

Mika and her friends failed to see the man following them. His eyes glowed red briefly as he watched Mika. "I've got you now princess."


	3. Chapter 3

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"I won," Mika cried. "This day is definitely getting better."

"That was very cool," Hoshi agreed. "Congratulations."

"I demand a rematch," Aiko said, smiling. She was happy that Mika was in a better mood now. They had been best friends since first grade, and had always been close. Hoshi was a more recent addition to their group. He had started at their school two years ago, and the three of them hit it off immediately. Aiko was also pretty sure Hoshi had a crush on Mika, but she wasn't going to say anything until she was sure.

"A rematch it is then, as long as Hoshi doesn't mind," Mika said, looking over at him.

"You two go ahead. I'll play winner," Hoshi said. "You guys thirsty? I'll get drinks while I wait."

"Thanks Hoshi," the girls said together.

While Hoshi was gone, the stranger who had been following them approached the girls. "Excuse me are either of you Hino Mika?"

Mika turned and looked at the stranger warily. Her mom had always been very strict about not talking to strangers. "Why?"

"I'm a police officer. Mrs. Hino was in a car accident, and the hospital called the police station and asked us to locate you," the man said, producing his badge.

Mika gasped. "Mom!" She felt like she was going to be ill. How could this have happened?

Aiko laid a supportive hand on her shoulder. "I'll run and tell Hoshi we're leaving. Then we'll go see your mom."

The police officer frowned. "I can only take Ms. Hino with me."

"Why?" Aiko asked. She wasn't about to abandon her best friend at a time like this.

"I want Aiko with me, and Hoshi if he'll come. We can find our own way there," Mika said quickly. She didn't like the way this guy was looking at them.

His eyes glowed red. "You're coming with me princess," he growled jumping at her.

A soda bottle hit him on the head, causing him to recoil. "Stay away from her," Hoshi shouted, throwing another soda. "Aiko and Mika, run!"

The three of them made a break for it. "This is just like that other time," Mika thought. When she had been four, she had gone to the park with her mother and one of her mother's friends and wandered away. She was confronted by a kind lady, who offered her a piece of candy. Mika, following her mother's rules about strangers, had refused to talk to the stranger and suddenly the woman wasn't nice anymore. She pulled a knife and tried to stab Mika. Only the timely appearance of Sailor Mars and Sailor Jupiter had saved her life. To this day, she didn't know where they came from. They must have been passing by and saw that she was in danger. Immediately after that her mother announced that they were moving.

"In here," Aiko cried, diving into a large bush. She was quickly followed by Hoshi and Mika. "What was that about?"

"Hush," Hoshi whispered. "He's still looking for us." He turned to look at Mika. "Are you..." his voice trailed off when he saw the symbol of the moon on her forehead. "What is that?"

Mika looked confused. "What is what?"

Aiko pulled out a small mirror from her backpack. "That symbol on your forehead. It wasn't there before."

Mika looked, and was shocked to see the symbol. "I don't know," she whispered. "I've never seen it before."

"Princess, come out and I'll let your little friends go," the man called getting closer. Unfortunately the street was pretty empty, so there was nobody to stand in his way.

"Why does he keep calling you princess?" Aiko wondered.

"I don't know, but he's after me. I can't ask you two to get hurt helping me," Mika said bravely as she rose to meet him.

"No," both Aiko and Hoshi cried simultaneously, physically yanking her back down.

Aiko looked at her friend and said, "What's going on here doesn't matter. You are our friend, and we won't let him get you."

"But," Mika started.

"No 'buts'. You heard Aiko. Let's just stay hidden," Hoshi said.

Suddenly a hand from nowhere grabbed her arm and pulled her backward . "Got you princess," he hissed.

Suddenly a blast of white light erupted from Mika, knocking her attacker away.

"Back off," an angry voice growled from behind.

Mika looked up and was shocked to see Sailor Mars and Sailor Venus standing there.

The man looked pulled his gun from the holster.

"Venus Love Me Chain," Venus cried, using the chain to rip the gun from his hands.

Mars put herself in between Mika and the controlled police officer. She kicked him to the ground. Mars wanted to avoid using her attacks on the man is she could. He was an innocent who was being controlled by the enemy and her attacks would probably kill him.

The man scrambled to his feet and lunged at Mars, who punched him in the stomach. He clutched his stomach and crumbled to the ground. The red eyes faded and the man slumped over.

"Is he dead?" Venus asked.

Mars nodded. "Just like always." She turned to Mika. "Are you okay?"

Mika nodded. "What's going on? What did he want?"

"He wanted you," Venus said.

"Why?" Mika cried.

Mars couldn't bring herself to meet Mika's eyes. "He wanted you because you are Princess Serenity of Earth. The heir to the throne."


	4. Chapter 4

"I'm not the princess of anything. My name is Hino Mika," Mika stuttered.

Mars shook her head. "You are Princess Serenity, sweetheart. Where do you think that mark on your head and that blast of power came from?"

Mika's head jerked up when Mars said sweetheart. It wasn't the word as much as they way she said it that caused Mika to pause. "Oh my god, Mom?" she cried. There was no doubt on closer inspection. Looking at Venus, she whispered, "Aunt Minako? It's not possible."

Aiko and Hoshi just stood and stared. This was a lot to take in at once. Their friend was the lost princess! Everyone knew the story. After the death of the king and queen, the princess was hidden by the senshi so the enemy couldn't find her.

"So you recognize us, Princess," Venus said.

"Please don't call me princess. I can't be the princess," Mika cried, sitting down on the ground. Tears rolled down her cheeks. This was too much for her.

Mars undid the transformation, and walked toward her adopted daughter. "But sweetheart, you are. When your parents died, you were the only thing standing between the enemy and the throne. We had to hide you. I volunteered to raise you. I love you baby. Please don't cry."

Mika looked at the woman in front of her. "Get away from me," she hissed. "You lied to me all these years then. I don't even know who you are or who I am anymore." Mika jumped to her feet and ran off. She just wanted to be alone.

"Mika," Rei cried. She was crying now too.

"Rei," Minako whispered. "It'll be okay. She'll understand. We knew it would be hard for her to grasp."

"We can't let her run off by herself," Rei said firmly, her professional manner re-exerting itself. "The enemy knows where she is now. She's completely exposed."

"I'll go after Mika and you watch these two. We don't need word getting out about all this," Venus said. Seeing the expression on her friend's face, she added, "You'll only make it worse if you go after her. She'll understand, but right now she doesn't. Give her some time."

Aiko and Hoshi had been watching in silent shock, but now Hoshi spoke up. "You don't need to keep an eye on us. We'd never do anything to hurt Mika." He paused, "Or Princess Serenity I guess. I don't understand this."

Mars sighed. "Sit and I'll explain." She turned to Venus, "You'll take good care of her?"

"You know I will, Mars," Venus said, taking off after Mika.

Mika ran as fast as she could go. She didn't know where she was going, but she had to get away. And to think that she had been upset about detention. Finally she couldn't run anymore, and Mika collapsed to the ground in tears. "I'm a princess," she whispered. "It's not possible."

"But its true, Mika," Venus said, walking up behind her.

"I told you I wanted to be alone. I never want to see you or that sneak that I called mother again," Mika cried.

Venus sighed. "Please don't think harshly of Mars. She loves you. We all do. We couldn't tell you. What if your secret had gotten out." Venus sat down beside Mika. "Tell me dear, have you been happy?"

"Yes, I have been," Mika admitted.

"Do you think you would have been if you had known what had happened? If you had known that you were on the run?" Venus asked.

"Probably not," Mika agreed.

"Partly we decided not to tell you for fear that it would get out that you were the princess, but the other part was that we wanted you to grow up normal. Living in fear would not have made your life good. We always had your well-being in the front of our minds concerning all decisions. Your mother..." Venus was interrupted by Mika's shout.

"If what you say is true then she's not my mother," Mika said.

"What is a mother? I've always thought of a mother as a person who loves you and is always there for you. A person who would do anything for you," Venus said. "Serenity was a wonderful person, but she is really only your mother biologically. Rei has always been there for you and please believe me when I say that she loves you more than words can explain."

Mika looked up at the senshi of love, truly touched by her words. "I said all those horrible things to Mom. She deserves better."

"Believe me, she understands your frustration princess. She just wants to see you happy again," Venus said, hugging the girl. "We all want to see you be happy again."

"So I really am Princess Serenity?" Mika asked.

"You are," Venus confirmed, brushing Mika's bangs to the side and uncovering the symbol of the moon that still glowed on her head.

"It's funny. I don't feel like a princess," Mika said. "I just feel like me, Hino Mika."

"Well you are one and the same. You're both the princess and Mika. You don't have to choose," Venus said kindly. "It's funny dear because you sound a bit like Serenity when she found out she was the moon princess. She said she just wanted to be Usagi, but she learned as you will that you don't have to sacrifice one for the other. Are you okay now?"

Mika whipped her eyes. "I guess so. I do have a question though. How do I get rid of this moon on my head?"

Venus laughed. "It'll fade now that the danger has passed and you are calm again. The symbol come out in response to strong emotions."

As Venus spoke, the symbol began to fade away. "I guess we should go back now," Mika said. "Time to learn how to be a princess."

"Come on dear. The others will be worried," Venus said rising.

"Aunt Minako," Mika said quietly.

"Yes, dear?" Venus turned to the young princess.

"Thank you," Mika whispered.

Venus hugged Mika again and they made their way back to the others.


	5. Chapter 5

If you are reading this please review. If you don't like the story please tell me why and I'll try to fix it. Silence tells me nothing. I would like to thank Serenityrain2233 for her review. Please everyone tell me what you think. I'm willing to beg. Enjoy the chapter.

"Welcome back princess," Mercury said with a smile when they arrived at the palace. "Do you need anything before we get to work?"

Mars and Venus had brought her in through a secret passage in the back of the palace so that no one would know she was back. The palace had also been cleared of all unnecessary personnel. After a lot of begging from Hoshi and Aiko, they were allowed to come along.

"No, I'm fine. Thank you," Mika said, looking closely at Mercury's face. If Mars was her mother and Aunt Minako was Sailor Venus, then she probably knew Sailor Mercury also. "Aunt Ami," she ventured.

Mercury smiled. "So you recognize me. I'm happy to see you're looking so well, princess."

Mika winced. "I wish everyone would stop calling me princess. My name is Mika."

"Then no more princess, sweetheart," Rei said. "Are you ready for this. If you're tired you can go nap or something."

Mika smiled at her mother. "I'm fine, Mom. I just want to get started. From what I've heard we don't have much time for me to learn this stuff."

Rei looked at her daughter proudly. After the initial shock, she had taken everything in stride and was willing to take on the strain that came with ruling. Mika was strong, independent, and intelligent. She would be a wonderful queen.

"Come this way Mika," Venus said. "Jupiter will be waiting for us in the training room."

The training room had been built into the palace at the request of the queen. She had wanted a place where they could all train without being spotted, so that their enemies could not spy on them. There were targets set up around the room, as well as other objects that could help with training.

"Welcome princess," Jupiter greeted her. "It's good to see you back. It's been too long."

Mars smiled. "It's nice to be back."

"I'm going to go with Aunt Makoto," Mika guessed. "And please don't call me princess."

"You are right and you're request is noted," Jupiter smiled. "I suppose before we start I should give you this." Jupiter pulled out the transformation broach that Serenity had used to become Sailor Moon. "This is yours now, Mika. Call out Moon Prism Power Make-up and this will transform you into the warrior Sailor Moon."

Mika took the broach and looked at it in awe. She had heard tales of Sailor Moon. Who hadn't? This felt like a dream or a nightmare. She couldn't decide which, but this certainly couldn't be real. This kind of stuff just didn't happen in real life. A small part of her still hoped that the senshi had made a mistake. She knew it wasn't likely, but she still hoped.

"I guess I should try it now. Moon Prism Power Make-up!" Mika cried. The next thing she knew she stood there in the uniform of Sailor Moon. "It worked," she whispered in shock.

Jupiter grinned at her. "Never a doubt."

"We should go through your attacks," Venus said. "Then we'll work on fighting techniques. The first one is called Moon Tiara Action. Mika take off your tiara, say that and throw it as hard as you can at that target there."

Mika removed her tiara and did as she was told. It cut the target in half. Mika was shocked and disturbed. Was the attack so powerful that it could do that?

Mars saw Mika's confusion. "Mika, the tiara is powerful, but it couldn't do that kind of damage to a living being. You'll see that many of your attacks involve purification. Those that can be purified will be, but those who can't be purified will be destroyed.

"I'm not sure I could kill someone," Mika said, her eyes distraught.

Rei sighed. How could she explain this to Mika who was the constant peace-maker? Much like Serenity, she hated conflict. Rei didn't doubt Mika's strength. When the time came, she knew Mika would do what it took to protect the innocents, but that didn't make fighting any easier. "Sweetheart, I know this is hard, but the people you attack mean harm to all the people of this kingdom. It is our duty to make sure that doesn't happen. The non-violent approach is always the first step, but if that doesn't work then there is no other choice."

Mika was still a little confused, but she accepted her adopted mother's reasoning. "Okay, what's next?"

"You're going to throw the tiara again, but this time you'll yell Moon Tiara Stardust. Aim at the figure over there," Jupiter answered, pointing to one of the fake enemies.

Mika responded and the tiara spun over the top of the dummy, sprinkling flakes of dust on it. "What did that do?"

"If that dummy had been controlled by an evil force it would have purified it," Mercury clarified. She had been watching Mika's throwing form and was pleased to see that it was quite good. The tiara would do some of the work based on the user's thoughts, but you still had to get it pretty close or it would attack the wrong thing. It was particularly difficult using the dummies because the tiara was drawn by evil forces and the dummies radiated nothing. "We should skip the Sailor Moon Kick for now. We can deal with that when we teach you to fight. I think you should try the disguise pen out now." Mercury handed over a pen shaped object to Mika. "Here are the disguise pen and the Crescent Moon Wand, Mika. The disguise pen you'll be able to use right away, but you'll need more training before you can use the Crescent Moon Wand."

Mika was exhausted. It had been a long day and these moves used a lot of energy, but she was determined not to mention it to the senshi. She had to be able to do this. Too many people were relying on her and she wouldn't let them down. "So let's get to training," she said determinedly.

"No, we'll rest first. I want you to go to your room and get some sleep and then it's dinner time. It has to have been a while since you last ate," Rei said. Mika opened her mouth to protest, but Rei wouldn't here it. "No sweetheart. You aren't doing anyone any good if you make yourself sick. I know you're tired. I still remember how exhausting it was when I first used my powers."

"But we don't have time for this," Mika protested.

"I agree with Mars," Venus said kindly. "Better to space the work out some and keep you healthy then to risk your life by forcing you to do too much at once. You go rest now and then after dinner we'll continue training. Your endurance will increase and you'll be able to use more moves after training."

"Okay," Mika consented.

Hoshi and Aiko had been watching from the sidelines in amazement. This was all so incredible. Now that training had stopped Hoshi spoke up. "How can Aiko and I help? I can do some martial arts."

The senshi looked at each other. Hoshi and Aiko couldn't use the powers of the senshi. They didn't know if there were any weapons that normal people could use.

"It might be best if you remained on the sidelines," Jupiter suggested. "It's nice that you're hear to support Mika, but the isn't a game."

Aiko and Hoshi protested simultaneously. "We know it's not a game," Aiko cried acidly. "But Mika is our friend and we will help her."

"I'm going to help," Hoshi said. "That's all there is to it."

Mercury seeing the passion in their eyes, spoke up. "I'll look through my computers and see if there are any weapons you two can use. At the very least we can teach you to fight."

Mika was concerned. "Hoshi, Aiko..." she began before being interrupted by Hoshi.

"Mika there isn't a thing you can say that will talk me out of this," Hoshi said firmly.

"That goes for me too," Aiko agreed.

Mika blinked back tears and smiled at them. She was grateful for their loyalty, but she was also very scared for them. "Then I guess we're all in this mess together."


	6. Chapter 6

"Moon Tiara Action," cried Mika. The tiara cut down three of the targets.

"Not bad," Venus said. As leader of the senshi, she had handled most of Mika's training and was impressed with the progress the young princess had made. She was athletic and smart, which allowed her to catch on quickly. She could now use both the Crescent Moon Wand and the Cutie Moon Rod, and had made excellent progress with the martial arts. Luckily Mars had pushed Mika learn how to fight early on so that she could defend herself. She also had ascended to using Moon Crystal Power Make-up to transform. "Let's try something more difficult. I want you to come at me."

Mika looked stricken. "I don't want to hurt you."

Venus laughed. "After all these years I'd better be able to protect myself. It'll be good practice for both of us. I need to see how you do against a real opponent. I promise the enemy won't hold still while you destroy them."

"Okay, let's go," Mika said. "Sailor Moon Kick!" she cried, striking out at Venus.

Venus dodged the attack and cried, "Venus Love Me Chain." Mika leaped out of the way just in time, and countered by throwing her tiara at Venus, distracting the senshi long enough for Mika to land a kick. Venus used Crescent Beam, which hit Mika's leg causing the girl to lose her balance. Mika quickly pushed herself up, but Venus was already standing above her.

Mika winced. If the battle had been real, Venus would have finished her off. She had thought she was doing so well too.

Venus smiled and offered the princess her hand. "Not bad. You're catching on quickly. I think you're almost ready."

Mika grasped the offered hand and looked at Venus in confusion. "What do you mean? I lost badly."

"Mika, your biggest problem is not your skills or knowledge. Those are great. You need to believe in yourself," Venus told her.

"How much longer before the wall gives?" Mika asked, ignoring Venus' comment. She had heard that from Venus many times before and didn't believe it. Instead her thoughts turned to the question that was never far from her mind. She might have been able to agree that she was doing well if she hadn't had this deadline looming over her head.

Venus sighed. "Mercury says three weeks, so we still have time. You've made so much progress Mika. Please believe that."

"But not enough," Mika said darkly. "Let's do some more."

"No," Venus said firmly. "Go rest and then we'll train more."

Mika was about to argue, but stopped herself. It never helped and she really was very tired. "Okay, I'll see you soon, Aunt Minako."

Mars came over as soon as training was done and began fussing over Mika. Mercury and Jupiter walked over to talk to Venus.

"She's doing well," Jupiter said.

"Shockingly well," Venus agreed. "I just wish she believed in herself more. Most of her mistakes are not for lack of skill or knowledge, but because she doesn't believe she can do this. I don't know how to show her that she really can."

Mercury paused for a second. "I may have an idea," she murmured.

After assuring her mother that she was fine, Mika trudged back to her room where Aiko and Hoshi were waiting to hear how her training session had gone. They were both recovering from their own. Mercury had managed to find magical weapons that they could use. Hoshi had been given a sword and Aiko a bow. Both weapons drew power directly from their masters, so Hoshi and Aiko had been training to increase their own magical and physical strength on top of the martial arts training.

Mika collapsed on the bed with a sigh, causing her friends to look at her with concern.

"Not good?" Hoshi asked, as he set aside his sword which he had been cleaning.

"Not good enough," Mika said, frowning. "I still need so much work. I don't know what's going to happen."

"But you're getting there and it's not like you'll be alone. Hoshi and I will be there by your side along with the senshi," Aiko said, always the positive one.

"I know," Mika said. Privately she thought, "I know you two will be great. It's me don't know about."

Aiko, seeing the uneasiness in her friend's eyes, gave her a hug. "Let's do something fun. You've thought about nothing, but the upcoming battle since you learned about it."

"Aiko, I can't. I needed to get some sleep, so I can train more. I still have so much to learn. Besides, I'm not allowed to leave the palace," Mika said stubbornly.

"So we won't leave the palace. We've barely know anything about this place, so let's explore," Hoshi said, slipping his sword into its sheath.

"But..." Mika started to protest, but Aiko grabbed her arm and dragged her out the door.

Soon they were lost in a maze of hallways, completely in awe of the beauty and grandeur of the palace. None of them had ever been in such a place. A picture caught Mika's eye, causing her to stop dead.

It was a picture of the king and queen wrapped in each others arms. Mika's eyes went from one figure to the other slowly. It wasn't that she had never seen pictures of them. She had, but now they were more than just legendary figures that she had learned about in school. They were her parents.

"Neo-Queen Serenity really looks like you, or I guess you look like her," Hoshi observed, also inspecting the picture.

"I wish I had known them," Mika said.

"I'm sure the senshi will tell you all about them if you ask," Aiko said.

"Yeah, but it's not quite knowing them," Mika said. She brightened though and said, "I'll ask Mom next time I see her."

A loud bang caused the three to jump.

"What was that?" Aiko asked, grabbing her bow which she had strapped to her back before leaving the room and an arrow.

"I'm not sure, but I'll go check it out. You two stay here," Hoshi said, grabbing his sword.

"No, splitting up is stupid," Mika told him. "We'll all go." She could see Hoshi start to argue, and cut him off with her most determined look.

Hoshi sighed. He was never able to change her mind when she got like this. "Fine, let's go."

Mika pulled out her broach and cried "Moon Crystal Power Make-up!" A second later, a fully transformed Sailor Moon stood before them. They took off cautiously to investigate the noise.

"Nothing," Aiko whispered after they thoroughly searched the area. "False alarm I guess."

Hoshi and Mika nodded their agreement, and the three decided to head back. Suddenly the lights went out. Hoshi and Aiko went into guard positions around Mika.

The attacking figures seemed to come from nowhere and retreat just as quickly, like phantoms fading in and out. Hoshi and Aiko put up a good fight, but the attackers were able to dodge most of the blows they dealt. A blast of water struck the three, throwing them to the ground. Aiko and Hoshi lay very still. They had used to much power and were no longer capable of fighting.

"I have to protect them," Mika thought, scrambling to her feet. The moon symbol on her head began to glow brightly, and she could feel the power running through her. Out of the corner of her eyes she saw a figure move. Mika pulled off her tiara and aimed it at the enemy, who dodged it but just barely. A fireball flew at her, which she counted by using the Crescent Moon Wand. She put so much power into her attack that it not only destroyed the fireball, but caused the enemy to collapse. She spun around in time to see another enemy move in the darkness. Her tiara caught the figure on the back, causing the person to cry out in pain. Mika kicked the figure hard before that person could recover. A beam stuck Mika in the back, but she recovered quickly and turned to face the two remaining attackers. She pulled out the Cutie Moon Rod and using her mind had it aim its attack in two places. This would reduce the power some, but with as much power as she was generating at that moment it should be sufficient to stop them both. The beam hit one, but the other managed to dodge it. Mika jumped at her attacker, while this person was recovering, hitting that person with the Sailor Moon Body Attack. The last attacker fell unconscious, and Mika breathed a sigh of relief. She looked more closely at her attacker and was shocked to see it was Sailor Venus.

"Oh my god," she whispered. "Venus," she cried, shaking the senshi of love. "Wake up, please."

Venus woke up, and groaned as she sat up. She turned to Mika with a smile and said, "I told you that you were almost ready."


	7. Chapter 7

You guys please review. I can see that people are reading. It is truly depressing that no one is reviewing this story. Please say something, anything. I'm begging here. Please, please, please... I don't know what else I can say. If you don't like the story, tell me what bothers you and I'll try to fix it. If you do like it, words of encouragement are nice. Guys please, anything...

The senshi were quick to recover. Mika's attacks had been very powerful, but so were the senshi. They had used their powers to protect them from the blows. Aiko and Hoshi were pretty much physically unharmed. The senshi had purposely contained their powers when attacking, so that damage would be minimal. They put the two youngsters to bed, so they could sleep off their exhaustion. Mika was also extremely tired, but she refused to go to bed until she was sure everyone was okay.

"Mika, stop hovering and go rest," Mars ordered her daughter.

"I'm fine," Mika insisted, wrapping a bandage around Mars' injured arm.

"You did well, Mika," Venus said. "Now do you see that you can do this?"

Mika hesitated. "It's not the same. You guys weren't using your full powers."

Jupiter laughed. "Mika as far as physical power goes, you are far stronger than any of us. You have the power of both the royalty of the moon and the earth. On their own they are formidable, but together they are unbeatable as long as you learn how to focus and use them. Remember who and what you are fighting for and no one will be able to defeat you."

"What do my thoughts have to do with this?" Mika asked.

Mars answered, "Your powers respond partially to strong emotions. You used them when you were attacked by the enemy and you used them here. One responded to fear, which is a relatively weak way to access them. You'll only get a small blast of power. It was the desire to protect your friends that made you so powerful this time."

"Now we'll work on focusing that power and fine-tuning your fighting style. The power you just displayed is only the tip of the iceberg," Venus said. "You're well on your way to being ready to face the enemy."

"We should work with it then before I can't reach it anymore," Mika said anxiously.

"It doesn't work like that," Mercury said kindly. "You need to be rested to access it at will. Now it would only come out if there was no other choice."

"Come sweetheart," Mars said, motioning for Mika to follow her. "Let's get you something to eat. You must be starved after using that much power."

"I am a bit hungry," Mika admitted, following her mother. She thought back on the battle. Never before had she felt such power and it scared her. She had barely been able to contain it. What if it had gotten out of control? It also worried her that she didn't seem to have easy access to it. One of her biggest worries is that she wouldn't be able to call it out and everyone would die. "Take a deep breath, Mika," she thought to herself. "Pull yourself together. You can do this. You have to do this. Everyone is relying on you."

Rei noticed Mika's silence, and saw the look of trepidation on her face. "Earth to Mika," she teased, trying to lighten the mood. "You okay, sweetheart."

Mika snapped out of her trance-like state at her mother's question. "I'm fine, Mom," she responded quietly. She didn't want to burden her mother with anything else. She had enough to deal with already.

Rei smiled. "Baby, I have known you all your life, and I am more than capable of seeing that something is wrong."

Mika squirmed under her mother's steady gaze. She had never been able to hide anything from her for very long. She looked into her mother's eyes and asked, "Will I be able to access those powers again?"

Rei sighed as she looked at Mika, the insecurity was plain in her eyes. It was a lot to ask of anyone, but it was truly unfair to ask a fifteen year old to take up this burden. "I explained that they respond to your emotions. I know they'll come to your aid when you need them."

"And if they don't?" Mika asked. "What if I'm not strong enough? Everyone will be destroyed because of me." Tears welled up in her eyes, but she fought to hold them back. She had to be strong.

Rei hugged Mika tightly. "I knew this plan wouldn't work, but the others thought we might be able to show you just how strong you are. Mika, you are the strongest person I have ever met. I have watched you overcome every obstacle that life has thrown at you, big and small. You have grown into an amazing woman right before my eyes. There isn't anything else I can say to convince you that you can do this. It's something you'll have to realize on your own. All I can say, and I say this in all honesty is that I have faith in you, baby."

Mika thought about her mother's words, and wiped away her tears. "Thank you, mom."

Hoshi woke up with a start. Frantic thoughts ran through his mind. Where was he? Where were Mika and Aiko? Had the enemy gotten to them. He was particularly worried about Mika. Hoshi's stomach twisted itself into knots with worry. He was aware that he had feelings for her that went beyond friendship, but wasn't sure how to deal with them. He wasn't sure he should even try. Mika had never shown more than friendly feelings for him, but she also rarely allowed herself to show emotion. It would be horrible if he confessed his feelings and she didn't feel the same. He could lose her as a friend. Hoshi had decided long before that he'd rather be just friends than risk losing her. Now horror flooded through him, as he wondered about her fate. He sat up and looked around him. Aiko was resting in a bed beside him. The area appeared to be a medical center of some sort.

"Oh good you're awake," came the familiar voice of Mercury. "Mika will be happy to hear that. She's been worried sick. I keep having to kick her out because she is spending to much time here."

Hoshi was beyond confusion. Mercury could see this and laughed a little. She explained to him about the test and what Mika had done.

"So everyone is okay?" Hoshi asked carefully, trying not to shout for joy. Mika was alive and well.

"Everyone is fine," Mercury said. "You and Aiko did well. You exerted so much energy that you exhausted yourselves."

"Some guardians we turned out to be," Hoshi grumbled.

"You did just fine. The biggest problem was that you released too much energy at once, and this left you to tired to fight later on. Hoshi, if you and Aiko had been able to defeat us so easily, then I think we'd have to resign our positions," Mercury laughed. "We've been doing this much longer than you have. Your power is actually very impressive. At first we figured you two would just be here to keep Mika together, but now that we've seen what you can both do we would like you to help us guard our princess. We'll need all the strong fighters we can get and you and Aiko are two of the strongest I've seen in a while."

Hoshi straightened up proudly. "I'll do whatever it takes."

Mercury smiled. "As soon as you are strong enough, we'll begin training again."

"Let's go now," Hoshi said getting out of the bed. Having not yet recovered all his strength, he almost collapsed and had to grab the edge of the bed to hold himself up.

"Get back into bed," Mercury ordered. "I'll decide when you are ready."

Hoshi did so reluctantly. Later that night when Mercury wasn't watching, he snuck out. His strength was coming back quickly and he was beginning to feel cooped up. Hoshi figured he'd go out quickly and get some fresh air before Mercury realized he was missing. The cool air felt good against his skin. He took a deep breath, and walked down to the courtyard. It was the most beautiful place he'd ever seen with flowers and fountains everywhere.

To Hoshi's surprise, he saw Mika sitting beside the largest fountain in the center of the courtyard. She had stopped by to visit him when she heard he was up. Then she had been all smiles, but now she sat there like a beautiful statue. The smile was gone to be replaced by a look of fear and sadness.

"A pretty lady shouldn't look so sad," Hoshi said, walking up behind her.

Mika jumped a bit, but relaxed when she realized it was him. She quickly pasted a smile on her face. "Hoshi, you're up. That's great. I'm surprised Aunt Ami let you out of her sight. She can be quite bossy when it comes to medicine."

Hoshi smiled. "She doesn't know I'm gone yet," he admitted. "I kind of snuck out."

Mika's eyes twinkled. "I wouldn't want to be in your place. You're about to get the lecture of the century."

"So what are you doing out here all by yourself?" Hoshi asked, sitting down next to her.

"You aren't the only one who can sneak out. I needed some time to think," Mika said, looking into the water as though some answer would be revealed there.

"Want to talk about it?" Hoshi asked. Mika started to say no and get up, but Hoshi grabbed her hand. "Please Mika. I hate seeing you sad. Let me try to help," he whispered, meeting her eyes.

Mika hesitated, but she really did want to talk to someone. "I'm worried. Everything depends on me. Not only do I have to command the defense of the kingdom from this new enemy, but even afterwards I have to be queen. What if I don't have what it takes? I would have let everybody in the kingdom down. My decisions don't effect just a few people anymore. They effect everyone. One bad decision could destroy the lives of so many people." She could feel the tears begin to fall from her eyes, and looked away. Hoshi was always so together, so she had tried to never show weakness in front of him. He must be disgusted with her. Hoshi stood up and pulled Mika toward her.

"Mika, look at me," Hoshi said quietly. Mika continued to avoid his eyes. "Mika, please look at me."

She finally did so and was shocked by what she saw in his eyes. There was no disgust or anger like she had expected. There was only love and compassion. "Mika, why do you insist on doing everything on your own? You don't have to be alone in this. You know Aiko will be by your side every step of the way. The senshi will be there to guide and advise you, your mother especially. And I..." his voice trailed off as the words he couldn't say tried to come out.

Mika stood on her toes and kissed him, the feelings that had been bottled up for so long bursting out. "I love you, Hoshi. I want you with me forever."

Hoshi's heart jumped. She loved him! "Mika, I love you too. You will never have to be alone, because I'll always be there with you."

The two young lovers stood there wrapped in each others arms, wishing that this moment would last forever.


	8. Chapter 8

I am through begging for reviews (this doesn't mean I don't still want them, I'm just done begging). I don't understand why nobody will review. Thank you again to my only reviewer serenityrain2233. I can't thank you enough for your reviews. Please do tell me what you think of the last few chapters. There is probably only one or two more chapters left to the story. The next chapter is the big showdown! Fun stuff. Enjoy!

Mika, Aiko, and Hoshi trained with the senshi every day until they could no longer fight. Their strength was becoming formidable indeed. Mika in particular was learning how to control and combine the powers of the earth and the moon. The combination made her twice as strong as both her parents, but it was also dangerous for her to use it all. The human body can only hold so much power safely and they soon realized after she was injured by her own power in a training session that if she pushed past that safety limit, it could destroy her.

Although their days were devoted to training, at night Hoshi and Mika would sneak off together and learn what it meant to be in love. Aiko covered for them if the senshi came looking for them, although Mika suspected that they knew.

With the deadline on top of them, Hoshi and Mika held each other tight and gazed up into the night sky, afraid that they might not get another chance.

"It's so beautiful," Mika murmured to her lover as she lay her head on his chest.

"It is," Hoshi agreed. "Although they pale in comparison to you, my dearest."

Mika looked up at him and laughed. "How long have you been waiting to use that line?"

Hoshi grinned mischievously, "You don't like it?"

"I didn't say that," Mika smiled, snuggling up in his strong arms. A feeling of dread ran through her suddenly. There was a strong, evil power headed right for them. The barrier had collapsed, she thought in horror. "Hoshi!"

He had sensed it too, and grabbed his sword which was never far from him anymore. "Mika get back to the palace. I'll cover you."

"I won't leave you," Mika cried, standing up by his side. She put her hand on his arm, and smiled. "I guess it is time."

"Mika, please go," he begged. "I promise I'll be okay. I'll meet you there."

"No," Mika said stubbornly. "I must do this. I won't watch you and the others I love die. I won't watch my people be hurt. I'll stop them here and now." She called the words that would transform her into Sailor Moon.

As the enemies came into sight, she pulled out the Spiral Heart Moon Rod, which she had learned how to use. "Moon Spiral Heart Attack," she cried, aiming the attack at the approaching invaders. It wiped many in the first line of invasion, but many were still left. The stronger ones were at the back, prepared to fight when the defenders were tired.

Hoshi raised his sword and with a huge swipe of the sword, a large blast of energy went out also destroying many.

A huge attack seemed to come out of nowhere, knocking them both down. Mika fought off the darkness that threatened to engulf her conscious mind, and looked for her lover. He was close by, climbing back to his feet with his sword at the ready.

Suddenly a figure landed in front of them protectively. "Mars Flame Sniper," Mars cried. The fire arrow struck one of the attacking generals, causing the portion of troops following him to become confused without any leadership. The senshi gave them no time to recoup. The fight was intense. The outer senshi joined as well. Aiko and Hoshi fought by Mika's side, protecting her from outside attacks while she dealt with the enemies in front of her.

"There are so many," Mika thought with despair. "I have to do something."

There was a cry by her side, and Hoshi collapsed. An arrow was buried in his back.

"Hoshi," Mika cried, dropping to his side. She had to do something. All she wanted was to stop this fighting. Tears formed in her eyes, but her determination built along with her power. "All this must stop now!" she cried aloud, the moon symbol showing on her head. Suddenly she began to glow brightly with a white light and she was clothed in a pure white dress. Power radiated through her, and she knew what she had to do to save Hoshi. Removing the arrow, she laid her hand on the wound. The power rushed from her into his body as the wound healed.

Aiko stood in front of her friend and princess. "Is he okay?" she asked, sending out several arrows which all found their marks.

Princess Serenity smiled, "He'll be fine. Aiko, please watch him."

"What do you mean? I'll watch both of you," Aiko said, glancing at her friend suspiciously.

Serenity shook her head, and stepped in front of Aiko. She quickly located the senshi, and was horrified to see the destruction that had happened. The beautiful area showed the results of the ruthless attack. Worse she could see the fallen bodies of Mars, Mercury, Neptune, Saturn, and Pluto. She prayed they were just unconscious.

A tall man approached from the shadows, stepping over the bodies of his fallen soldiers. "So Princess Serenity, we finally meet."

Aiko stepped in front of her friend. The senshi that were still up were still engaged in fighting off the enemy's troops. It was up to her to protect the princess. "Halt," she said, aiming her arrow.

The man put up his hands in a motion of submission and helplessness, but Aiko knew better. The evil power radiating off him was almost equal to the power coming from Serenity. "I have no weapon. I just want to speak to the princess."

Aiko's position didn't change. "She can hear you from there. I warn you that if you so much as twitch your nose, I'll put an arrow through your head. I'd put it through your heart, but I'd be willing to bet you don't have one."

"Serenity, you want this to end right. All you need to do is step down," the man said. "I'll let you all live in peace. You're still a girl. There's no reason you need all the pressure of being queen on your shoulders."

"You know," Serenity said quietly. "There was a time that I would have given anything to be rid of this responsibility, but not now. My people need me, and my life belongs to them. I have no intention of giving up."

"Come now Serenity. Be reasonable," the man said, trying to put on a facade of kindness.

Serenity saw right through him. "Princess Serenity," she corrected him, meeting his eyes.

Instantly the man's face was covered with anger. "Then you all die."

A huge power erupted from him, aiming out in all directions. Serenity knew that he meant for that blast to destroy the badly weakened senshi. "No," she cried, her power forming a barrier around him to block his attack.

Surprise showed on his face when he realized that he couldn't force his way through the barrier. She was more powerful, then he had anticipated. "This might be more complicated then I thought," he thought. Then aloud he said, "Well princess I suppose the ruler of Crystal Tokyo will be decided now." His held out his hand and a black ball of magic formed there.

"Aiko, collect the senshi and Hoshi," Serenity ordered, glowing more brightly as her power built even further. "Take them to safety."

Aiko stood there in shock as she felt the two powers build. Never before had there been such a clash of good and evil, and never before had the future been so uncertain. "I can't leave you."

"The best thing you can do is get everyone to safety, so I won't worry. I can't fight properly if I have to worry about protecting everyone," Serenity said calmly, her eyes never moving off her opponent.

Hoshi struggled to his feet. He had finally come back to consciousness. "Aiko, do as she says. I'll stay."

Serenity looked stricken when he said this. "No Hoshi..."

He put his hand on her shoulder. "I promised I'd stand by your side, my love. This is were I belong."

A tear ran down her cheek, and she nodded. "Then together we will win," she whispered.


	9. Chapter 9

At her friend's urging, Aiko did agree to leave. Convincing the senshi to leave wasn't difficult. The only one still conscious was Venus, and she could no longer move. Serenity put up a barrier to protect them while they were moved to safety. Once the senshi were moved to safety, Aiko would keep watch for the reinforcements they could sense coming at them. If she could keep them at bay until Serenity and Hoshi destroyed the leader, the attack should stop.

The man grinned evilly. "You can't stop me. I will rule."

Serenity glared back defiantly. "You're wrong. My power is based on love, while yours comes from destruction. I am the rightful heir of Crystal Tokyo and I can draw power directly from the earth itself and from the hearts of my people who believe in me. I won't let them down."

Out of the corner of his eye, Hoshi noticed a flash of light and acting almost purely off instinct, he swung his sword up and blocked the attack of the huge shadowy figure.

"I see you have met my head general, Ronin. He has been anxious to meet you princess," the man laughed evilly.

"Princess Serenity, stay focused on him," Hoshi growled. "I'll take care of Ronin."

Serenity nodded quietly. "Please be careful, my dearest."

"You too," Hoshi whispered, squeezing her hand.

Hoshi charged at Ronin and sent a wave of power from the sword at Ronin, who dodged it and counter attacked. Serenity quickly focused her attention back on the man in front of her.

"One last chance to leave and take your forces with you. I don't wish to destroy you," Serenity said.

"Forget it princess. You can refer to me as King Leiko, the ruler of Crystal Tokyo," the man said, his voice mocking and cruel. "You don't stand a chance." A blast of black fire burst from his hands and came at her.

Serenity matched the attack with a surge of pure white power that burst from her hand. The blast hit his and neutralized it. He growled pulling his sword and leaping at her. Serenity threw up a barrier to stop him just as he attacked her with all his strength. To her shock the barrier began to crack. "No," she whispered fiercely as she dug deeper for more. She could feel the minds of the senshi, Aiko, and Hoshi rooting her on. It was like they were all by her side, and this gave her the strength to reach deeper. She reached into the earth and the moon which was shining brightly above them and drew power from them. Her barrier became so bright that it was impossible to look directly at it.

Leiko tried to force out more power, but unlike Serenity, he had nothing left. He pulled back, and fell to his knees gasping for breath. "You won't win princess," he hissed. "If I can't be king, then their won't be a kingdom!" He threw all of his remaining powers into one last concentrated blast that went to the center of the earth, upsetting the delicate balance of the planet. With one last horrible laugh, Leiko collapsed to the ground and died.

Hoshi had just finished off Ronin, and turned to Serenity with horror etched on his face. He didn't know the full extent of what was going on, but the ground was shaking more violently than ever before. The ground began to crack open into widening crevices. It felt like the world was going to split.

Little did he know how right he was. As the princess of the Earth, Serenity could sense what was happening to the planet. The blast had hit the core and split into smaller, more concentrated beams that cut through other areas. The result was complete chaos as earthquakes and tidal waves began to build. She knew they would only get worse from here until everything was destroyed. She fell to her knees and pressed her hands against the ground. Serenity took all of her powers and forced them into the earth to purify the dark power and hold the planet together. Her breath began more rapid and ragged as she tapped the outer limits of her power. She could feel her hands burning from the amount of power being exerted, but she forced herself to ignore it.

The dark power dissipated and the earth calmed. Serenity sighed with relief. It had worked. Leiko had been stopped and the kingdom still stood strong. It was true that it would take time for nature to take its course and finish the healing process, but at least now it would get the chance. She tried to stand up, but suddenly the loss of power caught up with her. Her head began to spin, and she collapsed to the ground. The last thing she heard was Hoshi's frantic voice calling her.


	10. Chapter 10

The last chapter. I hope you enjoyed reading the story. Takara means treasure or precious object.

Epilogue:

Mika stared down into the face of her small daughter Takara. The beautiful newborn princess cooed happily as her mother rocked her.

Hoshi smiled, holding his precious wife and child in his arms. The battle still seemed like a nightmare to him, and he knew Mika would never be fully over the lives she had been forced to take. He could remember seeing Mika collapse, her light almost completely extinguished. The coming troops had fled when they felt the full power of Princess Serenity and Leiko had died in his last desperate attack, but she had been barely alive. He had pulled her toward him, desperate to find something to help her. A small jewel had appeared suddenly just above them and emitted a warm, comforting bright light which had covered them.

When it faded, Mika lay in his arms fully healed, except for the palms of her hands which had been badly burned by her own power. Not only had she been healed, but the landscape around them no longer showed the aftereffects of battle, and his own wounds were gone. She looked up at him sleepily, the jewel now clutched in her hands and whispered, "Can we go home now?"

Hoshi's eyes moistened and he held her close. "Yes, love. Let's go."

Returning to the palace, they found that everyone there had also been healed.

"The Silver Crystal," Pluto had whispered a awe, when she saw the jewel. "I thought it was gone for good. It disappeared with the king and queen."

"How did it get back here?" Aiko asked, "And why did it do that?"

"It was my parents' last wish," Mika whispered. With every eye now on her, she explained further. "I could here their voices when the crystal was activated. As they died they wished that the kingdom and its inhabitants would be healed after the final battle with the enemy. That includes all of us."

"The Silver Crystal always grants one last wish when its full power is activated," Mars murmured, remembering past experiences with the crystal. "It must have disappeared because until it completed the final wish of the king and queen, it could not be used again."

"So why didn't Mika's hands heal?" Aiko asked.

"My guess would be because those wounds were not made by the enemy, but by Mika herself," Mercury suggested. "But I can't be sure."

"So this is really all over now?" Mika smiled tiredly.

Mars hugged Mika. "Yes it is, and you did wonderfully just like I always knew you would."

Mika hugged her mother back, and felt great relief that she was still alive. She had been so terrified when she had seen her laying there motionless. Everyone had made it, and that was what mattered.

Neo-Queen Serenity the Second was crowned three days later, and six years after that she and Hoshi were married. The palms of her hands still showed the scars from her last battle, but looking down at her daughter, she knew it was all worth it.

Ami came in, interrupting the comfortable silence. "I hate to interfere with you two love birds, but everyone wants to see Takara. Rei in particular is threatening to burn down the whole medical area if we don't let her see her granddaughter. I've put a lot of effort into this place and if she sets it on fire, I'll have to kill her," she joked.

"Please try to avoid killing Mom, Aunt Ami," Mika teased. "Go ahead let them in. I'm going to get hell from Aiko already for keeping her out so long."

As Ami left to collect the others, the king and queen shared a long kiss. "She's really going to be something," Mika said quietly.

"Is that a premonition, my love?" Hoshi asked.

She met his eyes and laughed, "Perhaps, my love. Perhaps."

As if responding to her parents' speculation, Takara squealed happily.


End file.
